Bethlehem Star: What It Was and What It Meant
It wasn’t just any star that appeared to the Wise Men. It danced through the darkness and guided them to the Light of the World, Jesus Christ. Not only was it directional, its supernatural appearance stirs us to seek the supernatural in our own lives.
The Nine Points of Christ’s Star
From the Biblical account in Matthew, unpacking it verse by verse, we can compile a list of nine qualities that must be present before any celestial phenomena could be considered to be the Biblical Star of Bethlehem. If any qualification is missing, then we will assume we haven’t found our Star.
Based on the text, here are the nine points of Christ’s star:
| No. | Qualification Point |
|---|---|
| 1 | It signified birth. |
| 2 | It signified kingship. |
| 3 | It had a connection with the Jewish nation. |
| 4 | It rose in the east, like other stars. |
| 5 | It appeared at a precise time. |
| 6 | Herod didn’t know when it appeared. |
| 7 | It endured over time. |
| 8 | It was ahead of the Magi as they went south from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. |
| 9 | It stopped over Bethlehem. |
Historical Context and the Investigation
To begin, we see again how important the date of Herod’s death is to the investigation. If Herod died in 4 BC, then Christ had to be born before that year. But if Herod died in 1 BC, as the best evidence indicates, then we should look at the years 2 and 3 BC.
Who Were the Magi?
The word, ‘magi,’ which is sometimes translated ‘wise men,’ is the root from which we get our word ‘magic.’ This doesn’t make them all magicians, in the present sense of the word. Some of them were learned men in general, who studied the physical world and were knowledgeable about many things, including the stars. Magi were often court astronomers who were consulted by the rulers of the day for guidance in affairs of state.
Historically, during the Babylonian captivity of the Jews, some 500 years earlier, King Nebuchadnezzar kept a stable of court magi. Nebuchadnezzar made the Jewish prophet Daniel Chief Magus of his court when Daniel was able to interpret a dream the other magi could not. There were magi of various schools, and some were more respected than others.
The Eastern School of Magi
We know something of a particularly prestigious school of magi from the writings of Philo, a Jewish philosopher and contemporary of Jesus. Philo wrote in praise of an Eastern school of magi and their great learning and understanding of the natural world. This school may have descended from the Babylonian magi of Daniel’s day. Matthew does report that the Wise Men were from the East, and Babylon is east of Judea. So it is possible the Wise Men were of this prestigious Eastern school. This would account for Herod giving them an audience, and for his strong reaction to the news they brought.
Analyzing the Biblical Account
Matthew 2:2 continues with the question: “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” The Magis’ question gives us three points for our list of qualifications for the Star. Whatever happened in the sky indicated 1) birth, 2) kingship and 3) Jews. It also gives us a clue about the Magi; they were interested in things Jewish.
Movement and Rising in the East
When the wise men said “we saw his star in the east,” they didn’t mean “we saw his star while we were in the East.” The Greek text here says the Star was “en anatole,” meaning they saw his star rising in the east. That’s what all but polar stars do, because of the rotation of the Earth. So, that’s another qualification for the Star: it must rise in the east like most other stars.
The motive of the Magi in coming to Jerusalem tells us a great deal more about them. They wanted to worship a Jewish king. It is quite possible that some of the Magi were of Jewish descent, perhaps a Jewish remnant from Daniel’s day. This would help explain why they were watching the sky for things Jewish, why they wanted to worship a Jewish king, and why they were taken so seriously by Herod and Jewish chief priests. If they were not Jews, then they must have been most impressive magi indeed, as Jews of the time were deeply disdainful of pagans and their beliefs.